Skylark
by narsass
Summary: This is a small story, really, narrated by a thousands-year-old fox which is me. The main characters are two pilots whom I'm fairly fond of. In this story, I am nothing but an observer, a bystander and a raconteur wishing for audience... So, would you mind if I tell you a story? (Inspired by Pearl Harbor)
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. All credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto.

**A/N: **This is the first story I've ever uploaded on this site. Skylark is based on the movie Pearl Harbor with a bit more dramas. I hope you will like it. Constructive criticisms are welcome. Thank you for reading!

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0/ Prologue

A question and a few words before we can start this story.

Have you ever heard of the word 'skylark'?

Well, it's a bird-species in which the males sing while in flight. A hundred feet off the ground with a marvelous song. The skylark song is considered to be the most complicated one among others. And they always say complications make good tales.

Personally, I love skylarks and their song. I love the way they fly up high into the blue sky all suddenly then plummet down to land on the ground. You cannot imagine the power, the freedom, the epiphany that burst when a skylark spreads his wings and takes off. It mesmerizes anybody, even the coldest one.

However, what I'm about to tell you isn't related to the bird at all. It's just about a boy who reminds me of skylarks. So, if you're ready, I shall begin this little story. There will be countless people, pools of bloods, storages of planes and a lot of skies. Hence, prepare yourself well before we start.

Oh, right, I want to do something unorthodox once in a while. I will slip a bit of how the story ended first. That will probably make the story even more interesting, don't you think?

Hmm,

It occurred in a room.

Three people, including me, were inside.

One was about to take his last breathe. One knelt on the hard wood floor. I stood at the end of the bed.

That is all I can reveal to you at this moment.

One final thing, I'm not exactly the best raconteur. There will be moments I can't portray perfectly since I'm only an observer. To make it more clearly about my part in this story, I'd like to cite a quote from one of Francis Scott Fitzgerald's works.

_"I was within and without. Simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life." _


	2. Part One

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. All credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto.

**A/N: **Here is the first chapter of Skylark. I hope you'll like it. I'm not a native English speaker, hence I apologize if there are any mistakes. I'd be grateful if you can point them out to me. Thank you.

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**Part One**

_Featuring: two friends – an infant – a Hokage – a teacher – plenty reds and deads_

Having lived more than thousands of years, I was incredibly bored and found the life around me was sort of dull. I had learnt by heart all colors of the skies which were various and definitely more than a five-digit number. Life had been less tiresome and dreary when Kushina hadn't left me and returned to the other side of the world. She had been a great accompany; her husband, too. But the man had pissed me off painfully often. Even though our friendship was built with pranks and jokes, I could not deny the depth of that bond. It carved into me like a scar of valor that you were proud of and would never hesitate to exhibit. That scar remained unchanged no matter how much time had passed or what had happened. As long as your existence was still here, Kushina, I would continue to protect it with all my strength.

I remembered the day I found that little fragile soul in a sea of fire. The sirens had failed their duty. It was all too late. The fire became uncontrollable and destroyed the entire area. Hundreds of spirits walked out from the burning red. The smells of boiled bloods tortured my nostrils. Shattering sounds and shrieks cut my ears. Snowflakes of flickering ashes twisted my guts. Ignoring all of them, I hauled myself into the dead throng, searching for the nonexistence of two people. And replied to the hope I carried was a disappointment. I saw she stood there alongside Minato and there were tears falling out of her eyes. I had never seen Kushina crying before which was why it made me ache because I was supposed to protect her, to not make her cry. At that moment, I swore every molecules of me had wanted to embrace Kushina, to apologize. But none of them had happened, I retreated back to my lair without a second look back at the two.

An hour later, there was rain.

Soon, the sky became clear once again with a creamy blue. However, against that idyllic sky was nothing but a mangled plain. Corpses lied flat, stuck onto the ground, covered in dirt. A hint of remaining bloods streamed down the ditches, sweeping the dust. No sight of a house that was still standing. The small road which once had two paddy fields spread out on two sides was now covered in dirt and muds. With every step I took, I could see them in front of me vividly. For a moment, I thought I was in one of those documentaries walking alongside with my old friends, observing them whispering hopes and dreams to their son.

Their son!

An epiphany pulled all of my senses back together. I galloped to the old house which was now something like a rotten ruin. The front yard with an under-construction garden had bricks and woods covered up as half of the house had fallen down. The rest of it, I doubt it would be long for them to break.

There used to be a door here with a garland hanged on it. When you turned the knob, a warm light would greet you. Today was a Sunday. So Minato would be lying lazy on the sofa, watching some sport channels while playing with Naruto, his little man. The guy had always called his son like that then lifted the baby up in his hands before planting a kiss on Naruto's forehead. Kushina would poke her head out from the kitchen and tell the new father to be careful when he carried her precious. It was how it had once been instead of these crumpled, wrecked smithereens.

The warm-toned kitchen had been smashed down, completely. The place was my favorite spot to drop by whenever fresh flesh didn't whet my appetite. And then there was that living room.

A brick wall which used to have family pictures adored it collapsed on the ironwood settee. Minato had always been proud of that chair. When he brought it home with a high-up-to-the-sky price, Kushina had nearly lost consciousness. The guy simply grinned unapologetically and started complimenting the stupid thing on how firm it was and how rare the ironwoods were.

Though there was a time I had hated that settee and perceived it as a waste of money, today my perspective changed. I loved that damn settee so much that I could cry for it had saved the best of them, of Minato and Kushina.

Before this whole devastation, I had only held him once on the day he was born into this world. Oh, no, I'm not at all his god-father. That honorary title belongs to Minato's mentor who was also an annoying man and later on Naruto's mentor. For me, a fox who only held the kid three times in his life, a god-father was of great responsibility in which I could not bear. Also the second time I had him in my arms, he was on the verge of death. Tears and dirt stained his chubby cheeks. The sound of his heartbeat was so small, so quiet that it scared me. His fate was decided, the boy wouldn't last a day unless, unless I interfered.

Betraying on Mother Nature, going up against the death, I committed all those crime and lost my rights and privileges of being the God of Konoha mount. What a loss but it was worth it.

I have never regretted the choice I had made at that time.

A few hours later, the only survivor, an infant with whiskers, was found lying under the cover of two corpses.

As usual, no one saw me.

* * *

There were times I detested humans to the bones. What a selfish, fiendish creature. How could they put all the blame on the shoulders of a kid who barely knew the world? Now, when I have pondered over this question enough, here is a fact: "When humans are in pain, they'd hardly care about anyone else but themselves, their wounds."

Nevertheless, was it right to despise and isolate an innocent boy?

Yes, his whiskers were weird.

Yes, his being the only survivor was too much of luck.

Yes, yes, yes.

However, were any of the above his choice? It was cruel to hate someone for their origin. It was ruthless to alienate a child. Had it ever occurred to them how much their demeanors could destroy a person?

"No," the man shook his head. "I'm sorry but I can't, Hokage-sama."

I knew this person. Hurt and agony from his parents' death had blinded his senses ever since that dreadful day. It must be hard for him right now, standing here, in front of the Hokage and about to be given an impossible task: "Taking care of Naruto." Apparently, there was a controversial matter raised at the previous meeting with the board. The Hokage was going to be occupied for a long while, hence, the kid would be lonely. Sarutobi wouldn't want that. Naruto had been lonely enough, no need to enhance it more.

"It has to be you, Iruka." The older man said firmly. I knew what he meant and that deep implication behind those five words. Seeing him always side by side with Naruto for over five years as his guardian, I found myself rather comfortable with the current Hokage – Sarutobi Hiruzen. He was a wise man, deserved and received everyone's respect, including Iruka's.

As a subordinate, what could the young teacher do but comply?

The next morning, I saw Iruka had arrived Naruto's house in an ungodly hour.

The kid was still deeply asleep, probably dreaming of the world where he was a part in it. Being seen had always been this little man's wish ever since he started to notice how the others treated him. Hard life had made him different from kids of his age. He didn't need toys or beautiful clothes. All he ever wanted was to be seen, to have his face reflect in someone's eyes, other than the current Hokage.

As you have been informed, Iruka would never give the kid his attention. Coming this early in the morning, he must have wanted to avoid Naruto badly. But there was one thing I had miscalculated, Naruto had woken up earlier than normal. The reasons hit me quite fast. Last night, Sarutobi had told him about the temporary caretaker. Moreover, today was a special day. The blond kid hid himself behind the door to the kitchen while his blue eyes were furtively analyzing the stranger with a glint of hope. I wished I could tell the little man to walk away, stop minding about Iruka but I didn't, I couldn't, knowing it would hurt Naruto. I had interfered in his life enough. It was better to leave things flow naturally from now on.

After Iruka had done his part, preparing breakfast for Naruto, I saw the young man quickly gathered his belongings and ready to leave any moment now. However, Naruto was oblivious to the other's eagerness to escape this house, escape from him. Oh, how naïve a kid could be. I closed my eyes, knowing what was about to happen.

The boy slowly took a step forward out of his hideout. _Act normal. Act normal._

"Hi," he said. "I'm Naruto." The boy held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

The blond fidgeted nervously, beads of sweat trickling down his cheeks. Naruto wasn't used to this, formal greetings had never happened to him unless pranks and jokes were considered polite. Up to this point in Naruto's life, the only times people actually communicated with him were the moments he made a mess out of everywhere or did something inappropriate.

"I'm Izuka." The teacher said.

At that moment, I knew Naruto had realized.

A long time ago, I heard people saying that children, despite their innocence and naivety, were very sensitive. A baby could identify a person's feeling by one hug. A cry or a smile would be the signal from them to show their acknowledgement. I had thought it was ridiculous until I actually held a baby for once. I recalled that sunshine grin in my grasp, that flustered feelings ran through my veins. I also didn't forget that silent cry when Iruka closed the door behind his back, leaving behind an abnormally quiet Naruto.

Whenever this sort of situation occurred, the blond kid would quickly brush it off his shoulders. He was used to it. He was used to it. He was Naruto.

"Iruka-san!"

The second I saw Naruto ran out from the house and chased after the scar-faced man, I knew that kid was indeed the son of those two. After a series of clutching, nagging and squirming, Naruto was sent back to his house with a promise that he and Iruka would go eat ramen later.

I hardly believed that promise was made to keep.

* * *

I liked the color orange. It suited me best. But it didn't seem right on Naruto.

"I like orange," was the sentence that began the process of piling, storing and receiving a bunch of orange things in Naruto's closet. Minato was crazy but I never thought it was genetic. The kid looked like a walking carrot.

For some reasons which had been pointed out, I felt extremely irate whenever the kid took a stroll down the street, like now. In spite of the flashy color of his shirt or blondness of his hair or the loud greetings he once kept saying, no one looked at him. His presence was nothing but a bad omen. When people met bad omens, they would either pretend they didn't see it or walk away from it.

Naruto took a turn at the small lane that would lead to a small, shallow river. Then there was that old footbridge which had been left without renovation for five years. Once crossed this bridge, you'd be in the Kyuubi mountain. Well, it was used to be like that. They renamed the mount into Konoha last year in the memory of the people who died in that blazing inferno. Whatever, I couldn't care less even if I had once lived here. The stay wasn't _that_ special in retrospect. Before I met Kushina, there had always been just me wandering around the tiny shrine on the top of a mountain. Naruto found the place on the very day he perceived what the others had thought of him. He had run with all the strength a four-year-old boy could have. I had thought he would run forever, run until his heart stopped its beats. Thoughts were being thoughts, assumptions were just assumptions. His rapid steps paused as the sky floated in those pair of clear blue eyes.

I watched his bag shaking up and down as the blond tottered up on the stairs. A tune of Happy Birthday was dancing vaguely in the air. He was definitely not going to be a singe. I just knew it and hated myself for having good ears. The wicked gift only enhanced Naruto's terrifying voice.

"Eh?" The happy (torturous) tune came to a halt. My ears perked up.

There was another person here.


	3. Part Two

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

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**PART TWO**

* * *

**An observation:**

_Two boys._

_A bag with biscuits and candles._

_A nice-viewed riverbank._

_A party to celebrate._

I glanced at Naruto, wondering what the kid would do. I bet the images of his previous encounter with Iruka were flickering around in his head.

"Hey! That's MY place!"

Of course, he would yell. This was Naruto we were talking about. I must have lost my mind to think he could actually define 'formality' for once.

"Hah?" The black-haired "interloper" turned around, facing Naruto.

"That's my spot!" Naruto claimed, pointing at where the other boy was sitting on. Despite the situation, excitement was all over Naruto's face. I could even see a faint smile on his lips. "I marked it!" The blond gestured to the ice cream stick that pierced into the ground. I couldn't believe that thing was still there. The other glanced at the stick which had the name 'NARUTO' carved on it. He was about to stand up though I didn't think he would be going anywhere soon. "But we can share!" The blond pushed the black-haired kid to sit down again.

**The reasons for this particular behavior:**

_The other boy was different from everybody else._

_He saw._

"Hey, don't decide everything on your own like that." The boy frowned, dusting off his pants but still sat on the ground.

"Sorry," Naruto grinned apologetically then flopped down. "Let's start again. Hi, I'm Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto."

A surprised look was on the other boy's face. His eyes were hard to read. But it was evident that he was considering his next step.

To stay or to leave.

The latter wasn't his prime choice. An image flashed through his mind. There was a meeting supposed to happen here. The attendants were the black-haired boy and an older man with the same features as the former. An uncle? A father? No, this older 'man' was too young. So it must be a brother. I see. But it appeared this brother wasn't anywhere near to be found at the moment.

"I'm Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke," was the boy's final choice.

"Cool," Naruto commented. But which one was remarked on? The name or this current situation? I think it was the former. If you have a different thought, feel free to carry on.

"So, you're usually out here?" Sasuke's mood was livened up, probably due to the compliment. Everybody seemed to be easy to please when they were kids.

"Yeah, pretty much." Based on the definition in the dictionary, it was more correct if Naruto had used the term, 'always'.

"I'm here the first time." Sasuke said, a genuine smile took over the boring line of his lips. "It's nice."

The comment boosted up Naruto's excitement. His blue eyes glinted. "I know right! It's so beautiful. Here, I'll show you."

With both hands on Sasuke's shoulders, the blond shoved him down on his back. Suddenly jerked back, the dark-haired boy didn't have enough time to react, ended up in a supine posture. He was clearly annoyed by Naruto's brash behavior. Even I felt ashamed.

"Hey!" He growled.

"Look up," Being the hasty kid as usual, Naruto forced Sasuke to change his view with both of his hands cupping the other's face.

I used to never understand why Naruto always wandered around this riverside. Today, I learnt something new. Covered in a sweet blue color, the sky was a magnificent canvas, mixed with different shades of cerulean which reminded me of an upside down ocean.

It seemed the Uchiha kid shared the same feeling with me. It was evident in those deep dark eyes as the sky reflected on them. His features relaxed. A small smile crept on Naruto's lips. It was one of those smiles that meant more than what met the eyes, the sort that would only be there for just one person in a life time. I know it because I have lived long enough to observe my followers, the way their lips curve shows more than one feeling.

"It's beautiful," The black haired boy murmured quietly, his voice nearly mixed with the sound of wind blowing.

Standing here, at my old temple, sent me nostalgic feelings. Good old days, they were.

"It's my favourite spot in town," Naruto's hands detached from the other's cheeks before falling down limply. His pierce blue eyes suddenly flicked up at my direction, giving a heart attack. But then, I saw a cast of sadness joined with sympathy as a reflection of an abandoned, dilapidated shrine appeared on the glassy surface of those deep blue eyes. "You know…" He left the sentence hung idly, waiting for a respond from Sasuke which was a quick glance. "There was a god here, lived inside that shrine." His index finger pointed toward where once was my beloved place to return. "But then, a misfortune happened. They blamed it on the god and left his shrine."

My hands were trembling, I hadn't thought of the reasons yet. I just decided it was best to leave things the way they were for a moment. So I opened my mind and brought them in, these old memories. Whispers of those who were my prayers floated in my head. Sounds of five yen coins falling into the offertory box tingled my ears. Ghosts from the past walked up on the old path which once led to an ethereal shrine.

_"__Great Fox, please protect my family this year as well… Thank you."_

"Hey, do you want to do something fun?"

My ears perked up as soon as they detected a potentially stupid idea came out of Naruto's mouth.

"Like what?" Sasuke veered his eyes to meet Naruto's. There was a halt in Naruto's voice but he regained his composure back soon enough.

"Like flying a plane." That signature mischievous grin took up the blond's lips as he bolt up abruptly then dusted of his butts. That boy acting like Sasuke would agree with him to do something "like flying a plane". Well, yeah, it was quite an honorable job in this small town. Most people here dreamt to be pilot when they were young. As time flowed, dreams went with it and took a new, more defined shape.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so worried. We had Sasuke here, hadn't we? I believed Sasuke had a good sense of logic and formality. He wouldn't do something such reckless like sneaking inside the aircraft in Konoha academy, would he?

**Here is a sad fact:**

_He would._

"Woohoo!" Naruto spread his arms and did a full-circle spin while his eyes scanned all of the planes. Even though from the beginning, Sasuke had been all quiet and laconic, his expression had given away the real emotion which, in the current situation, was excitement.

"Yeah," His voice was full of amazement. It wasn't all hard to figure what the kid's dream was.

The planes were in various types and kinds. Battle ones to entertaining-purposed ones.

"Wanna try and ride one?" Here came the most ridiculous suggestion. Of course, it would be from Naruto. Everyone in this town knew how troublesome he was. He broke a plane once. The boy was forbidden to come here but he'd just done it again. I held no responsibility for this. If he kept going to disobey orders, Naruto _might_ end up unwelcomed in the Academy.

This time, Sasuke better got some senses in his head.

Again, what was I expecting in a child?

"I can fly, dattebayo!" Naruto screamed and did an acrobat in the middle of the sky with the plane he had 'borrowed without permission'. He managed to sneak in the practice ground where controlled and considerably harmless aircrafts were stored since they were for training newcomer in the academy only. I knew because Kushina and Minato used to study in this Academy as well. I guessed I had been with them longer than I could've ever imagined. Seeing them growing, their marriage and now their son put a weight of responsibility on my shoulders.

"Here comes another magnificent trick from the Great Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto babbled with a hint of mischief in his croaky voice.

The small sized metal "bird" did a 360 degree flip heading straight to the ground like a bomb falling down. My heart skipped a beat. I could see the staff from the academy start looking up at us. Some guys had already left their position and headed to the control station. Minutes later, the small speaker which was attached to our plane wheezed.

"TP-672, land down immediately. I repeat land down immediately."

Sasuke who was grinning whimsically at the copilot seat behind Naruto startled as he finally realized what was going on. The cheeriness in his eyes blinked out as those dark irises searched for exceptionally blue ones. Knowing Naruto for the entire of his life, I knew fairly that this wasn't the first time he snuck in the training ground for a few acrobatics and that his brain didn't store any kind of nerves for embarrassment. In short, this blond wouldn't land the plane down anytime soon even though it was already flying down like a tornado.

"What are you doing? Are you insane?!" Sasuke's eyes widened, his hands started trembling. But he was sane enough to not push any wrong buttons.

"Don't worry this is how I fly." A confident glint of complacence was all over that grin on his face. I knew he was going to do it again. The great triumph card that saved his asses from being crossed out of the Academy. The reason why the good old Hokage decided to exonerate him and many analogous occurrences from before.

"Don't worry? Don't worry!? We are falling! No, plunging for God's sake!" Sasuke yelled.

"Well, you're right. But only half," once there was that smugness in his tone, his hands squeezed the control columns while that grin became wider. His knuckles turned white. Naruto gritted teeth, using his little five-year-old strength to pull on the yoke. The small plane stopped spinning, slowly headed upward and pierced into the sky.

The dark haired boy was speechless. He probably had been through hell then heaven. I could sense a faint sigh from his opened lips. This kid had some talent. He was able to catch up with some flaws in Naruto's move. That blond kid always acted on his instinct for he'd never learnt any aircraft theory. The performance just now could have been turned into a tragic if it wasn't for Sasuke's quick mind, filling up the holes of miscalculation for Naruto. How could a five-year-old kid be so good?

The speaker after going suspiciously silent, started sizzling. A familiar voice shrieked through the tiny circle.

"NARUTO!"

"Eh? I-Iruka! San!" Oh, the usual failed attempt of being formal.

"COME DOWN HERE! OR I WILL COME UP!"

Naruto knew he would be spending much more time with this man in the near future. Hence, for a while, he actually used his head correctly and decided to land the airplane.

_Just a few minutes more._ His strong blue eyes peeked at the boy behind him. Sasuke was appreciating the beauty of the sky. At least, he looked like so. He rested on the back of his seat in content. His eyes relaxed, gazing. His stiff shoulders had already loosened up.

The sight in front of Naruto's eyes roused a smile upon his lips.

"Hey, Sas'ke," he called out softly, reminded of me when he was a little and there was no fire incident. I remembered the little whimpers coming out from this tiny lips whenever he was left alone in his cradle. It was the way he called out for Minato and Kushina if he felt lonely. Then once he got his parents attention, he would beam idiotically like he did now. "Thanks for being with me today."

The wheel screeched against the concrete road. The plane was safely landed on the runway. Men in green jackets ran toward us. The noise took over the silence as the two troublemakers were brought to light.

"Hey, isn't that Fugaku Uchiha's second son?"

A shout was mixed among the other noise but it couldn't escape my ears.

"Tell them we found Sasuke Uchiha!"

There was pity in those eyes that glanced upon the dark haired child. A special officer made his way through the mob. With a monotone warm voice, he told the boy to walk with him, a hand pressed on the boy's frail back. His feet were forced to move and it was terribly annoying. For some unvoiceable reasons, Sasuke hastily turned to look at Naruto who was occupied in searching for a particular figure.

Those blue eyes came to a halt as soon as they spotted Iruka making his way through the crowd.

"You little moron!" He smacked Naruto's head and I felt oddly satisfied.

"Ow!" Clearing understood he was overpowered, Naruto rubbed his head then looked for his new ally. However, Sasuke had gone, nowhere in sight. "Where-…"

"He must have gone home. Now you come with me. We will have a talk while eating ramen." He said, putting his arm over Naruto's shoulders. Once the name ramen appeared, Naruto aborted his current mission, decided to have a meal first. Sasuke probably had someone picked him up anyway because he was different from Naruto. The blond simply thought he would find Sasuke tomorrow. It was near lunchtime, Naruto's priority had been obviously clear.

**First thing first:**

_Food._

They slowly strode through the hallway. Posters were everywhere. I stopped by the school's achievement showcase which had its inside coated with velvet. The warm light shone down on pictures of students who had been among the school's elites. However, only face caught my attention almost immediately.

Itachi Uchiha.

One of the legends in the academy so the paper said.

I lingered back at the board for a little more, scanning through small articles pinned around the older Uchiha's picture on the soft fabrics. Nothing but perfection radiated from those short paragraphs.

What a prodigy…

My pace gradually became quicker as those two teacher and student easily walked pass the entrance where the guard was. The old man held up his vintage radio, slapped it twice then shook the poor machine up and down mercilessly. Finally given in, the obsolete FM stuttered incoherent words before actually broadcasting any information.

_[A few hours ago, a tragic incident has occurred at the Uchiha resident. It is believed that the entire Uchiha clan has been massacred by their own bloodline, Itachi Uchiha. However, this is still…]_

Naruto was still strolling along side with Iruka which sent me some relief. There are things that small children shouldn't know. The little back of the young Uchiha flashed through my mind. His head was ducking down, fingers intertwined. He probably had been wondering about his meeting with his brother. But the boy was wasting his time for something wouldn't happen again.

Would it?


End file.
